NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
23 Feb. 2019: 17 Jamadiul-II 1440:Vol:11,
No:135
INDIA
Heavy troop deployment in Kashmir as forces
crack down on J&K Jamaat, top leaders detained ahead of Article 35A hearing
New Delhi:Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing
on Article 35A, which gives special powers to the state of J&K , the state
govt has ramped up its crackdown on separatist leaders. Many Jamaat-e-Islami
J&K leaders and activists have been arrested or detained in the Valley.Though
police termed the detentions as routine, officials privy to the developments
said this is the first major crackdown on the organisation that is part of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.Conducting
night raids in south Kashmir and central Kashmir, the J&K Police picked up many JeI leaders from their
homes.Those detained including Ameer Jama’at, Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, advocate
Zahid Ali (spokesperson), Ghulam Qadir Lone (former secretary general), Abdur
Rouf (Ameer Zila Islamabad), Mudasir Ahmad (Ameer Tehsil Pahalgam), Abdul Salam
(Dialgam), Bakhtawar Ahmad (Dialgam), Mohammad Hayat (Tral), Bilal Ahmad
(Chadoora), Ghulam Mohammad Dar (Chak Sangran) and dozens more. Jamaat is a
social-political organization with cadre base across the Valley. Speaking to a
local agency, a JeI spokesperson said that the raids were a "well-designed
conspiracy to pave way for further uncertainty in the region."The Jamaat
cadres were picked up from various places, including Anantnag, Pahalgham,
Dialgam, Tral-- all in south Kashmir. Jamaat termed the raids as
"fishy" at a time when the Supreme Court is to hear a petition
regarding Article 35A of the Constitution, which grants special status to J&K."...The
way forces personnel unleashed the spree of mass arrest and detained dozens of
Jamaat members prior to the hearing seems something is hatching behind the
curtains. Any attempt of eroding or tampering Article 35A is unacceptable for
people of J&K,"it said.Besides this, police also detained Yaseen Malik.
India today
Nearly 10,000 Troops Airlifted To Srinagar
Amid Major Crackdown In J&K
Srinagar: Amid a major crackdown on
separatists in J&K that began last
night, Centre has sent hundred additional companies - around 10,000 soldiers -
of paramilitary forces to the state.A notice from the Home Ministry in New
Delhi late on Friday evening led to 100 additional companies of paramilitary
soldiers being airlifted to Srinagar, where J&K police and existing security forces worked
through the night rolling out their deployment plan for next few days. Depending
on the paramilitary force, a company of soldiers typically consists of between
80 and 150 soldiers, suggesting that last evening's order by the Ministry of
Home Affairs would see around 10,000 soldiers airlifted to Srinagar. ndtv
You can imprison a person, not his ideas:
Mehbooba on detention of J&K Jamaat leaders
Ex-J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has questioned
the legal grounds of detaining Jamaat-e-Islami J&K (JeI) cadres and JKLF
leader Yasin Malik, and said, “You can imprison a person but not his ideas.” Calling
the detention an “arbitrary move”, Mufti added, “In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat
leaders and workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to
understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in
J&K. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison
a person but not his ideas.”Condemning the nocturnal crackdown on JeI leaders,
the chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed it
as “illegal” and “coercive” and said such measures against Kashmiri’s will not
change realities on the ground. “Force and intimidation will only worsen situation,”
Farooq said.The chairman of Peoples Conference Sajad Lone, meanwhile, cautioned
the Govt to desist from arresting
Hurriyat leaders as the situation in the valley would worsen.indianexpress
Crackdown on Jamaat in J&K ‘arbitrary’:
Mehbooba
‘Fight
against terror not Kashmir’: PM Modi denounces attack on Kashmiris after
Pulwama
Tonk:PM Narendra Modi today denounced reported attacks
on Kashmiri youths in some parts of the country following Pulwama attack. PM
Modi said Kashmiri youths should not be targeted anywhere in the country. Speaking
at a rally in Tonk, PM Modi said, “Our fight is against terror, the enemies of
humanity… Our fight is for Kashmir not against Kashmir, not against Kashmiris.”
“What happened to Kashmiri youths in the last few days…It does not matter
whether the incident was small or big, such things should not happen. Kashmiri
youths are victims of terror. Every child of Kashmir is with India in our fight
against terror,”said PM.PM said incidents like these “give power to Bharat ke
tukde honge gang” and their supporters. “It is the responsibility of every
Indian to protect every laal (child) of Kashmir,” he said.HT
Time to test Pathan’s words: PM Modi on Imran
Khan’s promise
PM meets Rajnath, Doval over Kashmir situation
PM Narendra Modi has called for a meeting to
discuss Kashmir issue on late Saturday evening. Reports said that the
high-level meeting took place in New Delhi and several prominent ministers are
reported to take part in the meeting. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and NSA
Ajit Doval were also present during the meeting. The meeting has been called
over the reports of Kashmiri youths who were being targeted across the country
following the Pulwama terror attacks.Coming to the meeting, the PM Modi is
expected to discuss the security measures taken along the LoC. NewsX
Pakistan says it has taken control of
Jaish-e-Mohammed campus in Bahawalpur
New Delhi:Pakistan Govt on Friday claimed that it has taken control of
jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) campus in Bahawalpur. The decision was taken in line
with the decision of National Security Committee (NSC) meeting which was held
yesterday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior said.In a statement, the Pakistan Govt
said, "Govt of Punjab has taken over the control of a campus comprising
Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur." Govt said
that it has also appointed an administrator to manage affairs of the Jaish's
campus."The campus has a faculty of 70 teachers and currently 600 students
were studying in it. The Punjab police is providing security and protection to
the campus,"statement from Pakistan's interior ministry said. The
development has come a day after Pakistan PM Imran Khan banned Hafiz Saeed-led
Jamat-ut-Dawa (JuD), a decision taken in NSC meeting to review the National
Action Plan in detail. "It was decided during the meeting to accelerate
action against proscribed organizations. It was further decided that JuD and
Falah-e- Insaniat Foundation be notified as proscribed organizations by the
Ministry of Interior," a statement by Govt of Pakistan said.India Today
Pakistan says Bahawalpur mosque does charity,
action against it has no connection with Pulwama
Mention of JeM only in general terms, not judgment:
China downplays UNSC statement on Pulwama
New Delhi :A day after UNSC strongly condemned
the Pulwama attack and named Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) for the “heinous and
cowardly suicide bombing”, China on Friday sought to downplay the resolution,
saying the mention of JeM was only in “general terms” and “does not represent a
judgement”.“On Thursday, UNSC issued a press statement that mentioned a
particular organisation but only in general terms. It does not represent a
judgment on the attack,”China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters,
while referring to UNSC statement.While Beijing agreed to name JeM, which is a
UN-proscribed terrorist group since 2002, it has not yet yielded on JeM chief
Masood Azhar’s listing.Asked about the statement highlighting the role of JeM
in the attack, Geng said Beijing was closely following the developments related
to the terror incident. The spokesperson said that “China also noted that Pakistani
Govt showed readiness to cooperate with India on the investigation and that it
is also ready to resolve differences with India through dialogue”.“China hopes
all parties will work to find the truth about this attack. We hope Pakistan and
India will engage in dialogue to jointly safeguard regional peace and
stability,” he said.indianexpress
China opposed mention of 'terrorism' in UNSC
statement on Pulwama, caused a week's delay
Pak writes to UNSC, accuses India of
threatening regional security
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi has written a letter to UNSC accusing India of threatening regional security,
Foreign Office (FO) said.He also said India is accusing Pakistan for the
Pulwama attack without any proof."It is with a sense of urgency that I
draw your attention to the deteriorating security situation in our region
resulting from Indian belligerence and threats of use of force against
Pakistan. The situation poses a threat to international peace and
security," Qureshi said in the letter addressed to UNSC president Anatolio
Ndong Mba.He alleged that India is blaming Pakistan for Pulwama attack "to
cover up its own operational and policy failures". In his letter, Qureshi
also accused Indian Govt of using "water as a weapon". "Long-standing
legal arrangements agreed under Indus Waters Treaty(IWT) are thus being
imperilled," he said. India has decided to "stop" the flow of
its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty. Qureshi
said Pakistan has offered to cooperate with India if it shares any proof of
involvement of Pakistani elements in Pulwama attack. "Pakistan has offered
its cooperation, if tangible evidence emerging from credible investigation is
shared," he wrote.PTI
‘Centre decides to stop India’s share of water
to Pak’
CRPF slams report of Magazine which gives caste-based
break-up of jawans killed in Pulwama
New Delhi: CRPF has slammed a news report
which carried a caste-based break-up of the jawans killed in the Pulwama
attack. Calling the report “pathetic division of caste, colour, and religion”,CRPF
chief Moses Dhinakaran said such a ‘divide’ doesn’t exist in their blood and
all jawans identify themselves as “Indians”.“40 jawans were primarily from
lower-caste communities. In all, they comprised 19 jawans from OBCs, 7 from
SCs, 5 from STs, 4 from upper-caste backgrounds, one high-caste Bengali, 3 Jat
Sikhs, and one Muslim. So, only 5 out of 40 jawans, or 12.5%, came from Hindu
upper-caste backgrounds,”the magazine said. TOI
Urban upper-castes driving Hindutva
nationalism have little representation among Pulwama’s slain jawans: Ajaz
Ashraf, caravanmagazine
RSS has now changed its stand from Ram temple
to Kashmir: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: Latching onto a news report, Shiv Sena
Saturday said RSS' "new stand" to temporarily put the Ram Mandir
issue on the back-burner and give "priority" to Kashmir in the wake of
the Pulwama terror attack fits the current narrative in the country. The Sena
said the Sangh's changed approach in a way suits the country given the proposed
mega alliance of Congress and other parties could never provide stability and
bring peace in the country.However, claiming that no damage was inflicted on
Pakistan in the last five years, a Sena editorial in "Saamana"
questioned the need to repeat the "slogan" to elect a "stable Govt
and a strong PM ", which was raised ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Sena
also underlined the need to have a stable Govt in the country to prevent recurrence of
Pulwama-like incidents.PTI
Nitish bats for Article 370 in J&K , says
‘should not take action against Kashmiris’
Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has courted
controversy by speaking in favour of Article 370 in J&K , in contrast to
the belief of the BJP at the centre, who is also their NDA ally.Expressing
discomfort over the recent Pulwama attack and the subsequent hate crimes
against Muslims, especially Kashmiris, across the country, Bihar CM appealed to
the country to not boycott Kashmir, calling it an ‘integral part of India’ and
that Muslims too are aggrieved by the state of affairs.“Muslim community in
this country is equally pained over the Pulwama attack like everyone. I don’t
understand why someone wants to boycott Kashmir. We should not take action
against Kashmiris as they are part of India,”he said.TimesNow
2 Nabbed from Deoband for JeM Link, Kashmir
Cops Say ‘No Proof’
Neither their families nor the police in South
Kashmir on Friday, confirmed UP Police’s claim that two youths – Shahnawaz
Ahmad Teli of Nunmai (Kulgam) and Aaquib Ahmad Malik of Babgam (Pulwama) – were
members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror module operating in Deoband area of
Saharanpur district.Early on Friday, DG UP Police, OP Singh, disclosed at a
news conference that ATS had arrested Teli and Malik over specific information
regarding their association with Jaish-e-Mohammad. He said ATS conducted a
midnight raid in Deoband and arrested 2 “suspected terrorists.”According to
DGP, Teli and Malik had been living as students in Deoband, but had not taken
admission in any institution of the famous historic seminary there. He
described Teli as an expert in fabricating and detonating hand grenades, and
claimed that he had been entrusted with the responsibility of recruiting youths
to carry out terror attacks in UP and other parts of the country.Police and CID
officers in both Kulgam and Pulwama, maintained that they had begun profiling
of the two youths but had not immediately found anything adverse against them.
“There’s no FIR or daily diary report against them with CID or concerned police
stations in the 2 South Kashmir districts. We are still collecting and
verifying their antecedents,” said a police officer not authorised to speak to
the media.Malik’s family, too, maintained that he was innocent with no adverse
background or links to militancy. Even Malik’s neighbours said neither he “nor
any other youth in this village” had ever maintained links to militants or stone
pelters. thequint
Act against attacks on Kashmiris, minorities: SC
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Friday
directed the chief secretaries and police chiefs of all states and Union
Territories to take “prompt action” to prevent incidents of “assault, threat,
social boycott and such other egregious acts” against Kashmiris, including
students, and other minorities in the wake of the Pulwama attack.The bench also
issued notices to the Centre and 10 states — Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, J&K
, Meghalaya, UP , Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra — and sought
their reply. These are the states that have reported incidents of threat and
violence against Kashmiris in the last one week.“Chief secretaries, directors
general of police of all the states and Union Territories including the
commissioner of police, Delhi, are directed to take prompt and necessary action
to prevent incidents of assault, threat, social boycott and such other
egregious acts against Kashmiris, including students enrolled with the
institutions in the respondent states and union territories, and other
minorities in the wake of the terrorist attack,” said a bench of CJI Ranjan
Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna.The court was hearing a petition filed by
advocate Tariq Adeeb, seeking its intervention in the matter. Appearing for the
petitioner, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves sought an order like in the mob
lynching cases last year, when the court had ordered appointment of nodal
officers. “I want an order similar to the lynching cases,” Gonsalves said,
adding that the most senior officer in the state could act as the nodal
officer. He also wanted the officer’s number to be put in public domain.indian express
After SC push, states say ensuring Kashmiri
students’ safety
List of nodal officers appointed in all states
to redress grievances by Kashmiris
New Delhi :In the wake of incidents of
assaults and harassment against residents of J&K following the Pulwama attack, the Ministry of
Home Affairs has appointed nodal officers in all states and union territories
to ensure their security.The appointments were made as the Supreme Court on
Friday directed chief secretaries and police chiefs of all states and Union
Territories to take “prompt action” to prevent incidents of “assault, threat,
social boycott and such other egregious acts” against Kashmiris, including
students, and other minorities in aftermath of Pulwama.indianexpress
Among J-K students targeted are PM scholarship
recipients
New Delhi:At least 5 of the institutes where
Kashmiri students were targeted after the Pulwama attack are covered under PM’s
Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS)—a merit-based programme that offers
admission to students of J&K in colleges, institutes and universities
across the country and pays for their tuition and board.And at least five of
the Kashmiri students who have been expelled or suspended so far, for what
complainants content on social media, had secured admission through PMSSS. An
analysis of official records show that Geeta Engineering College in Panipat and
Moradabad Institute of Technology (MIT), which recently witnessed protests
against their students from Kashmir,as well as Quantum University in Roorkee,
Bharat Institute of Technology in Meerut, and Shree Guru Gobind Singh
Tricentenary University in Gurgaon, which suspended/expelled Kashmiri students
for their comments/ posts on social media, are on Govt’s list of institutions
covered under PMSSS.indianexpress
Violence against Kashmiris counter-productive:
Ribeiro
Ex DG of Punjab police, Julio Ribeiro, who has
also served as DG of CRPF, said it is very difficult to prevent a Fidayeen
attack and it was obvious that the attack was being planned for a long time.Referring
to Adil Ahmed Dar, who carried out the attack, Ribeiro pointed out that it was
worrying that the attack was carried out by an Indian. He stressed on the need
to address the problem and first find out the reason for it.Addressing the
issue of Kashmiri students being attacked at different educational institutions
in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror strike, Ribeiro emphasised that people
still stop and think before indulging in such violence. Clearly stating that
such actions would only be counterproductive.the quint
Thank you to Sikhs for shelter after Pulwama: Kashmiris
Sikhs have opened their doors in Jammu and
elsewhere to protect Kashmiris facing attacks in the aftermath of Pulwama strike.
Now, Kashmiris are expressing their gratitude. Kashmiris from every walk of
life — professionals, school managements, artisans, hoteliers, tour operators
and traders — have flooded social media with offers to bring happiness in some
way or the other to Sikhs. The offers range from discounts on snow-bike rides,
complimentary stay in hotels and tuition and medical check-up at no cost.Fida
Hussain, a 36-year-old paper-mache artisan from Srinagar, has offered to
decorate the interiors of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. “It will be an honour
to work at the Golden Temple. You will not believe that I posted the message on
my Facebook page in the morning and by evening several other artisans rang me
up to pledge their support to the endeavour,” Fida said. Telegraphindia
‘Very,
very bad situation between India and Pakistan’: Trump on Pulwama attack
Washington:Describing the current situation
between India and Pakistan as “very, very bad”, US President Donald Trump said
his administration was in contact with both sides and hoped hostilities would
soon end in the Valley.“Right now between Pakistan and India, there is a very,
very bad situation. A very dangerous situation. We would like to see it
(hostilities) stop. A lot of people were just killed. We want to see it just
stop. We are very much involved in that (process),” Trump said.PTI
India to attend OIC foreign ministers meet for
first time
New Delhi:India will, for the first time,
attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation in UAE,with officials describing the invitation to New Delhi as a
significant development in efforts to boost relations with West Asian and
Muslim-majority nations. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will
participate in the meeting as a guest of honour. Over the past few decades, New
Delhi has had, at best, a prickly relationship with OIC, largely because
Pakistan frequently used 56-member grouping to target India on the Kashmir
issue. Pakistan and its allies in the Arab world have also blocked attempts to
give observer status to India, which has the world’s third largest Muslim
population.Swaraj will attend the inaugural plenary session of 46th meeting of
OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers in Abu Dhabi during March 1-2 at the
invitation of her UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Swaraj
will address the inaugural plenary session as a guest of honour, the external
affairs ministry said in a statement on Saturday.Commodore (retired) C Uday
Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies, described the invitation
for India as a “reasonably significant development as OIC has traditionally not
been supportive of India, especially over the Kashmir issue”.The external
affairs ministry described the invitation as a “welcome recognition of the
presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of their contribution to its
pluralistic ethos, and of India’s contribution to the Islamic world”.HT
J&K govt has stopped advertisements in two
newspapers: Kashmir Editors Guild
Srinagar:Kashmir Editors Guild on Friday
claimed that Governor Satya Pal Malik’s administration has suspended
advertisements in 2 major daily newspapers– Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader
to “deliberately strangulate and subvert the institution of media” in the
state. Valley-based guild has also sought the “attention of Press Council of
India and Editors Guild of India to exercise their legal, ethical and
professional mandate to intervene in the issue.”indianexpress
Supreme Court seeks response on J&K plea
over shifting Pak prisoners to Tihar
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Friday sought
the Centre and the Delhi Govt ’s response on a plea by J&K administration to transfer seven Pakistani
undertrials with suspected links with terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba,
Jaish-e-Mohammad and Al-Badr from Jammu jail to Delhi’s Tihar Jail, as they
were allegedly indoctrinating fellow prisoners in Jammu.Appearing for J&K
administration, Advocate Shoeb Alam told a bench of Justices L N Rao and M R
Shah that if not Tihar, they could be shifted to high-security prisons in
Haryana or Punjab.The bench, which issued the notice, tagged the pleas for
transferring the seven with an earlier petition filed by the state, seeking
shifting of Pakistani national Zahid Farooq, allegedly affiliated to LeT, and
said it will hear all the petitions together.J&K has also requested that
the trial of their cases be shifted out of the state since transporting the
undertrials to court and back to prison poses security threat to the police
personnel escorting them as the common people.indianexpress
Centre withdraws notification giving more
powers to Assam Rifles
Union
Home Ministry withdrew a notification giving sweeping powers to Assam Rifles to
conduct searches without a warrant and take people into custody in the non-(AFSPA
areas. According to informed sources, fears of a backlash forced Centre to
scrap the notification. Home Ministry put the notification in abeyance and
would bring now only after a thorough review and consultations with state Govts
concerned, they said.The issue of re-conferring powers under CrPC to Assam
Rifles -- given in 1941 and taken back in 2006 -- had been pending for long and
it was needed for effective enforcement of Free Movement Regime along the
India-Myanmar border, the sources explained.The contours of the Free Movement
Regime was elaborated in the land border crossing agreement between India and
Myanmar in 2018 that called for suitable powers for border guards.Some
technical faults in the notification and adverse intelligence reports about a
possible backlash forced the Centre to reverse its decision.IANS
Assam Rifles Can Arrest Without Warrant In 5
Northeast States: Centre
Chidambaram Slams Centre’s ‘Muscular,
Militaristic Approach’ in North East, Says Policy Will Fail
New Delhi: Former finance minister P
Chidambaram has said he would wait to see if PM Narendra Modi acts against Meghalaya governor
Tathagata Roy for his tweet supporting a ban on Kashmiri goods.Chidambaram also
slammed Centre for the ministry of home affairs’ notification on Friday, which
empowered Assam Rifles personnel to arrest anyone and search a place without a
warrant in the Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Nagaland and Mizoram.His tweet read, “When the cry is for more humane and just
laws, Govt allows Assam Rifles to search
and arrest without warrant!” PC called the notification a ‘muscular,
militaristic approach’ and said the approach will fail in North East as it has
in Kashmir. “This is the extension of the muscular, militaristic approach to
the North East. This approach failed in Kashmir, it will fail in the North
Eastern States,” he said.News18news18
Assam launches crackdown against Rohingya
Muslims
Guwahati: Assam Govt has ordered a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims
believed to have been settled systematically by a network of sympathizers in
minority-dominated districts of the state in large numbers. Finance minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said, “We have been able to arrest only those who
have been detected so far. We fear there could be more who have come in
multiple streams and we do know how many of them are settled here now. We have
asked our police force to detect each and every one of them as the top
priority.”He said since the detection of the first Rohingya Muslim in the state
in 2009, infiltration from Myanmar has been on. “Very recently, when the state
machinery was focused on the unrest in the state (following the protests
against Citizenship Bill),there has been a systematic effort to settle the
Rohingya Muslims, who have been either living in 3 refugee camps set up by
India in Telengana, Delhi and Jammu, or infiltrated from across the border,”
Sarma said. He added, “Certain organisations are making concerted efforts to
push Rohingya Muslims into Assam and a network has developed to raise donations
for them.”Sarma said police have arrested 75 Rohingya Muslims in the state so
far, who are either in judicial custody or in detention camp in Goalpara jail
or have been repatriated. He added that there is no designated camp for
Rohingya in Assam.“Most of these Rohingya Muslims have been detected and
arrested in Hojai, Lumding, Cachar and Karimganj districts. These are the
districts where the demography has drastically changed and the indigenous
Assamese people are being pushed into oblivion,” Sarma said.TOI
One killed as protests in Arunachal turn
violent over citizenship to non-tribals
Guwahati:Protests roiled Arunachal Pradesh and
turned violent in the capital Itanagar following a move by the BJP-led state Govt
to grant permanent resident certificate (PRC) to six non-tribal communities,
forcing it late Friday evening to announce that the issue won’t be discussed in
the ongoing assembly session.One person was killed allegedly in police firing
and dozens of others including policemen injured in capital Itanagar on Friday
after protesters tried to march to the Assembly on the second day of a 48-hour
strike called by 18 bodies opposing the move.Following widespread incidents of
arson, Govt decided put the PRC in cold
storage for now. It was to be discussed in the state assembly on Saturday. Govt
also ordered telecom service providers to block data network for 24 hours since
Friday “to avoid rumour mongering through internet in the interest of public
safety”.Many indigenous groups have been opposing a joint high power committee
(JHPC) report which suggested granting of PRC to 6 communities, who are not
natives of Arunachal, but have been residing in Changlang and Namsai districts
for several decades.HT
80 Tea Garden Workers Dead After Consuming
Spurious Liquor in Assam, Govt Orders Probe
Guwahati: 80 tea garden workers died after
consuming spurious liquor in Assam, with 39 deaths reported from Golaghat
district alone. Several others have been admitted in a critical condition at
the Jorhat Medical College Hospital and at the Golaghat civil hospital. The
deaths come less than two weeks after more than 100 people died after drinking
bootleg alcohol in northern India. At least 7 women were among the dead at the
plantation, 310 km from the state's capital Guwahati. According to locals, the
workers at Salmara tea garden had consumed the liquor on Thursday evening and
four women died soon after. In the next 12 hours, eight more deaths were
reported. The toll has now touched 80.Police have arrested the owners of the
illegal country-made liquor factory in Jugibaari area near the garden. The
accused have been identified as Indukalpa Bordoloi and Deba Bora. news18
10 killed in explosion at shop in UP, some
feared trapped in debris
Bhadohi: 10 people were killed and six injured
in an explosion at a shop Bhadohi on Saturday afternoon which also led to
collapse of three adjacent houses, officials said.It is suspected that some
people are still trapped under the debris and a rescue operation has been
launched, they said.The blast took place at the shop in Rohta Bazaar. Kaliyar
Mansoori, who used to run the shop, is among the 10 deceased. His son was
running a carpet factory behind the shop and its workers could be among those
trapped under the debris, DM Rajendra Prasad said.Locals claimed that Mansoori
was also in the business of making illegal firecrackers. Besides Kaliyar
Mansoor, three deceased have been identified as Irfan Mansoori, Abid Mansoori
and Chandu, while efforts were on to identify the other six. The injured have
been admitted to hospital, the DM said.PTI
Police drop sedition charges against 14 AMU
students
Aligarh:Police have dropped sedition charges
slapped against 14 AMU after the recent protests on the campus, even as SP
leader Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP Govt of having used the legal provision “as a
weapon”. The students were booked for sedition after Bharatiya Janata Yuva
Morcha (BJYM) district president Mukesh Lodhi alleged he was assaulted by some
students who chanted pro-Pakistan slogans, police said.Aligarh’s SSP Akash
Kulhari said Friday the charges were dropped 3 days back as there is no
evidence to support them. Reacting to the development, Akhilesh Yadav said,
“Using sedition charges as a weapon against students is a serious breach of
constitutional norms.” “While the charges against AMU students have been
withdrawn, it is clear that BJP continues to be defined by the politics of fear
and division,” he said in Lucknow. Aligarh SSP said there is no videographic
proof or any other evidence “to support the claim that anti-India or pro-Pak
slogans were raised by these boys during the clash between 2 student groups at
University Circle on Feb.12”.PTI
Republic TV Row: AMU Students Accuse Admin of
Backtracking on Assurance: newsclick
4 Days After Fatal Mid-air Crash, 300 Vehicles
Gutted in Fire at Bengaluru Aero Show Venue
Bengaluru:300 vehicles were gutted in a fire
that broke out in a parking lot at the venue of the 2019 Aero India show being
conducted by the defence ministry at the Yelahanka air base. No casualties have
been reported. The fire has been extinguished completely, said DGP of Fire
Services MN Reddi. According to a policeman, around 100 cars were affected in
the blaze after one car caught fire. To control the fire, more than 10 fire
engines have been rushed to the spot. The cause of the fire is not yet known
but sources say it could have been a lit cigarette that was thrown into the
grass which may have started the fire.fire broke out just moments after
badminton star PV Sindhu took to the skies co-piloting Light Combat Aircraft Tejas’
trainer variant. News18
Jamia Millia wanted honorary doctorate for
alumnus SRK, govt said no
New Delhi :HRD Ministry denied a request from
Jamia Millia Islamia to award an honorary doctorate to actor Shah Rukh Khan, a
former student of the university, saying it would “not be in order” since he
had already received a similar degree from Maulana Azad National Urdu
University (MANUU) — although there is no official bar on such a
practice.Records accessed by Indian Express under RTI Act reveal that HRD
Ministry’s rejection came 3 months after Jamia’s request last Feb. When
contacted, Higher Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam acknowledged that there
were “no rules issued by UGC regarding this so far”.Asked about similar
instances earlier when honorary doctorates were awarded by different
universities to eminent personalities, he said it could have been the case that
one institution did not know what the other was doing. “As a matter of policy,
we discourage such things,” Subrahmanyam said.indianexpress
PILs for review of software used in EVMs,
VVPA; SC seek poll panel’s reply
New Delhi :The Supreme Court has asked the
Election Commission to respond to 2 pleas seeking an independent review of the
software used in EVMs, VVPAT and EVM Tracking Software (ETS).A bench comprising
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked the poll panel to
file its response by March 1 to the PILs which have also suggested changes in
the source code of EVMs to make them tamper proof and would prevent a
“pre-determined outcome” during elections.PILs have been filed by activists
Sunil Ahya and Ramesh Bellamkonda respectively. They have sought software
review of EVMs, VVPAT and ETS, particularly their source code, the fundamental
component of these machines. A source code is the brain of an electronic
machine which instructs its hardware on how to function.“We would require to
hear ECI on the statements made in the writ petitions and reliefs prayed
therein. The petitioners in both the cases to file additional paper books in
the Registry. “Registry to ensure that copies of the writ petitions are made
available to the Secretary” of EC to to enable it to take a considered view in
the hearing which will be held on 1st March, 2019, the bench said.PTI
Kejriwal announces indefinite hunger strike
from March 1 for Delhi statehood
New Delhi :Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that he
will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from March 1 demanding full statehood
for the national capital. “From March 1, I will begin a hunger strike. I am
going to fast till we get statehood. I am ready to face death,” AAP chief said
in the state Assembly.“Andolan (a movement) is the only way out of this crisis.
The people of Delhi have to come on the streets to fight for full statehood,”
he added. CM’s decision came a day after he said that his party will ensure
full statehood status for Delhi within 2 years if AAP wins all 7 seats in the
forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.indianexpress
3,003 Tamil Nadu temples, 131 churches, 27
mosques encroach Govt land: Govt
The state Govt told the Madras high court that
3,003 temples, 131 churches, 27 mosques and seven religious structures of other
faiths have been built encroaching upon public land across the state. S
Ramanathan, deputy secretary of municipal administration department, made submission
through a report as directed by the high court on Jan. 4. The court order came
on a plea filed by Ramakrishnan, general secretary, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar
Kazhagam, in 2004 seeking implementation of a Govt order dated April 29, 1968,
over removing a Vinayaka temple constructed on public land. On Jan4, when the
plea came up for hearing, Justice S M Subramaniam observed that even a deity in
a temple cannot commit an act of encroachment. Rule of law could not be diluted
merely because the offence was committed by a deity.TOI
WORLD
Palestinians pray in long-closed part of
Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem
For first time in 16 years, Palestinians on
Friday prayed at an area by Al-Rahma gate, located inside occupied East
Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.It is a passageway of gates and a stairway
leading to a hall that had been closed by Israeli authorities for years and was
reopened on Friday by Muslim religious officials. The hall is located a short
distance from Al-Aqsa Mosque itself.Israeli authorities closed the area in
2003. In 2017, an Israeli court upheld the closure order. But on Friday,
Religious Endowments Authority, a Jordan-run agency mandated with overseeing
East Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites, announced the reopening of
the mosque after a 16-year hiatus. Religious Endowments Authority Director
Sheikh Abdul Azim Salhab opened doors of the hall, and worshipers performed
Friday prayers.On Monday, Israeli authorities closed the Al-Rahma gate,
preventing hundreds of Palestinian worshippers from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque
complex, Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina. Earlier on Friday,
Israeli police arrested 60 people before Friday prayers at the complex amid a
week of tension over access to that corner of the mosque's compound.Israeli
police Spokesman told AFP crackdown followed "calls for public
disturbances" at Muslim Friday prayers."Israeli police increased
their presence at the compound as thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered at
the holy site, which is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the
Noble Sanctuary.A Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli gunfire at a
protest along the Gaza-Israel border fence, Gaza officials said.Gaza Health
ministry added that 30 others were wounded by Israeli live fire during the
weekly Gaza march which saw thousands of Palestinians protest along the Israeli
borders.aljazeera
Thousands of Palestinian demonstrators open
long-closed al-Aqsa gate
Egyptian executions follow flawed trials,
torture -UN rights office
Geneva:UN human rights office voiced concern that
trials that led to the executions of 15 people in Egypt this month may have
been unfair amid allegations that torture was used to obtain confessions.Egypt
executed 9 men on Wednesday convicted over the 2015 killing with a car bomb of
the its chief prosecutor on Wednesday, adding to a surge in death sentences
carried out in Feb, according to lawyers, activists and officials. 6 convicted
people were executed in other cases."There is significant cause for
concern that due process and fair trial guarantees may not have been followed
in some or all of these cases, and that the very serious allegations concerning
the use of torture were not properly investigated," UNHR spokesman Rupert
Colville said.All were murder cases, for which the death penalty is permissible
under international law, Colville said, although UN advocates its abolition.
"Issue here is fair trial, use of torture, forced confessions," he
said. Torture has been shown to be "well-established and endemic" in
Egypt, Colville added, citing a UN investigation concluded in June 2017."A
confession obtained under torture should not be admissible," he
said.Reuters
Egypt: Court of Cassation Upholds Ruling on 23
Muslim Brotherhood Convicts
Sudan:Bashir declares year-long state of
emergency
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared
a year-long state of emergency, dissolving his cabinet and local Govt s
throughout the country.In a televised address on Friday, Bashir also called on
Sudan's parliament to postpone constitutional amendments that would allow him
to run for another term in a presidential election in 2020.Acknowledging the
popular protests that have rocked his administration in recent months, the
75-year-old said the "demands of our people for better living conditions
are lawful"."I will not stop calling for all parties to sit at the
dialogue table," Bashir said, adding he would remain on the "side of
the youth who represent the future of Sudan".Hours after the announcement,
Bashir issued two decrees which set up a caretaker administration comprising a
senior official from each ministry and kept the defence, foreign and justice
ministers in place. He also appointed 16 army officers and two security
officers as new governors for country's 18 provinces.aljazeera
Saudi crown prince defends China's right to
fight terrorism
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has
supported China's right to undertake "anti-terrorism" and
"de-extremism" measures, according to Chinese state media, in remarks
activists lambasted as a defence of Beijing's crackdown on its Uighur Muslim
minority. Known as MBS, made the comments to Chinese President Xi Jinping on
Friday during a visit to Beijing, the last leg of an Asian tour that included
Pakistan and India, according to state-run news outlets.In his talks with Xi,
MBS hailed relations with China as trouble free, the official Xinhua news
agency reported, while Xi urged joint efforts to counter extremism and terror.Xi
told the crown prince the two countries must strengthen international
cooperation on de-radicalisation to "prevent the infiltration and spread
of extremist thinking", according to Xinhua.Saudi respected and supported
China's right to protect its own security and take counter-terror and
de-radicalisation steps, the crown prince told Xi, according to the same
report, and was willing to increase cooperation."China has the right to
take anti-terrorism and de-extremism measures to safeguard national security,"MBS
told Xi.Riyadh remained silent over China's treatment of Uighurs and other
mostly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.aljazeera
Chinese tactics to silence Uighurs abroad
revealed
Washington:Amid the crackdown on Uighur
Muslims in China, the latest tactic of Beijing to silence the community members
all over the world has been revealed. According to an article published in the
Washington Post,China is deploying its
students abroad to harass and threaten Uighur Muslims Muslims who dare to speak
out about the mass detention and persecution suffered by their relatives back
home in Xinjiang region. The article voices the ordeal of a Uighur-Canadian
activist living in Canada, Rukiye Turdush, who had fled the nation to escape
the Chinese regime and the crackdown on the Muslim community. ANI
Nigeria: Buhari seeks 2nd term in
delayed polls
Abuja;Nigerians are heading to the polls in
one of the most closely contested presidential and legislative elections in the
country's political history, after a week-long delay over security fears. About
120,000 polling stations opened at 07:00 GMT across Africa's most populous
nation and leading oil producer, with results expected early next week.The
elections on Saturday marked the end of a bitter campaign between two
frontrunners: incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, 76, of ruling All
Progressives Congress, and opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, 72, and former
vice president of the People's Democratic Party.More than 84 million Nigerians
have registered to take part in the crunch vote, and long queues were reported
at several polling stations across the country early on Saturday.aljazeera
Convoy of civilians leaves final ISIL holdout
in Syria
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/dirty-civilians-leave-isil-holdout-syria-190222122805007.html
Trucks carrying civilians left ISIL's last
pocket of territory in eastern Syria on Friday hours after coalition air raids
meant to pressure the fighters targeted the area on the banks of the Euphrates
River.Reporters near the front line at Baghouz saw dozens of trucks driving out
full of civilians. Most on board were women and children, although there were
some men, their faces covered with chequered scarves.The trucks were escorted
by gun-mounted pick-up trucks belonging to US-backed SDF. As the convoy passed,
automatic gunfire could be heard in the distance and coalition aircraft flew
overhead. In the past few weeks, nearly 20,000 people had left Baghouz through
a humanitarian corridor, leaving the ISIL holdout on foot, but the fighters
then closed passage and no civilians left for a week untilWednesday, when a
large group was evacuated. aljazeera
lash: views & NEWS
Venezuela closes Colombia border as aid
dispute turns deadly
Vietnam briefly detains Trump,Kim impersonators
BJP spreading rumours about burqa wearing
child lifters: Mamata
For These Women in Assam, Voting is A Way To
Prove They Belong:Sahla Nechiyilup
Pakistan may turn to Islamic banks for second
$1.4 billion loan – official: Reuters
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:34 PM)
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